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Check out the articles via this Slashdot article: MP3 Winners and Losers for 2003. I personally liked the observation that “the codec wars have begun,” even though I think the war’s been going on for some time now. The Slashdot discussion chases the Ogg Vorbis comments too much, but the DRM discussion is well worth reading.
But how can the federal government outlaw tools? That’s as silly as making Magic Markers illegal because they could be used as circumvention devices. As activists with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argued in a recent white paper, “photocopiers, VCRs, and CD-R burners can also be misused, but no one would suggest that the public give them up simply because they might be used by others to break the law.” Most of the circumvention tools the DMCA is designed to prohibit also have legitimate uses.
Perhaps more important, turning circumvention into a crime means that people who have a legal right to make fair-use copies of their media can’t. Say, for example, you’re a music professor who wants to make copies of certain songs available for students to download and listen to for class. These kinds of copies fall under a fair-use exemption to copyright law because they are being used purely for scholarly inquiry. It’s also legal for people to make personal backup copies of media they have purchased. But under the DMCA, the tools to make these perfectly legal copies simply won’t be available outside the black market. While the DMCA does provide exemptions for research and fair use, getting the tools to make good on said exemptions is such a thorny problem that technologists worry the law will stifle innovation and scholarly inquiry.
[…] Somewhere in Silicon Valley, a twentysomething man who goes by the name Bear is making $6,000 profit a month selling copyright circumvention devices. To be more precise, he sells and installs chips for the Xbox and Playstation that allow people to play copied games. I found him on a community Web site, offering his service — known as “modding” — for $70 a game system. After I exchanged a few e-mails with him, he agreed to an interview with me.
[…] He [one of Bear’s customers, and a Microsoft employee] said the main drawback to modding is that if you forget to turn your modchip off and try to play your Xbox over the Internet, Microsoft will figure out what you’ve done and shut down your online gaming account. He added, “I also think that Microsoft knows how popular modding is and that they are keeping a close eye on what people are doing so they can figure out what to add to the next generation of Xboxes.”
[…] The black market in circumvention devices could soon include smart card hacks that would keep your bank account fat and your phone bill low. But as the stakes get higher in crimes of circumvention, the losers are bound to be innocent consumers and white-hat hackers. In their efforts to stop crime, corporations and the government are using DRM and the DMCA to stamp out our ability to make fair use of our media. When we cannot do what we like with our machines in our own homes, we are losing what Princeton professor Felton calls our “freedom to tinker.” Ultimately, we may lose far more: our ability to innovate, to pass on our knowledge, and to understand how the technology that runs our world works.
I see that Derek’s back, and he’s commented briefly on a paper I too am only just getting started with — Andrew Odzlyko’s latest discussion of price discrimination: Pricing and Architecture of the Internet: Historical Perspectives from Telecommunications and Transportation
The concluding paragraph should be enough incentive to study the examples:
The general conclusion then is that the historical record of the transportation industry does demonstrate the importance and prevalence of disciminatory policies that are incompatible with the basic architecture of the current Internet. This probably accounts for much of the push to build new networks, or modify the current ones so as to provide more control for service providers over what customers do. However, the Internet is special, in its importance as an enabler for the rest of the economy, in its migration of costs and capabilities to the edges, in its primary value being in connectivity and low transaction latency, and in its pervasiveness and frequency of use. Hence in spite of the strong push from the industry, there are good prospects that the open architecture of the Internet will survice [sic].
Update: Slashdot’s article picks a different paragraph to highlight: Pricing and Internet Architecture


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A food company in Texas is recalling nearly 100-thousand pounds of frozen chicken meals in steam bags because the labels do not disclose they contain eggs, a potential allergen.
The U.S. department of agriculture announced the recall. Vics Acquisition is recalling the following:
The happi foodi bloody mary inspired chicken, southeast grocers brand marsala chicken and southeast grocers brand mediterranean herb chicken.
The happi foodi items were shipped across the U.S. and the southeast grocers items were shipped to southern states.
People who bought them are warning against eating them — and are asked to throw them out or return them to the stores they bought them at.
The u-s-d-a says they don’t know of anyone getting sick.
A company that helped Vics Acquisition pack the products noticed the label oversight.

domain: news


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“China Mobile Ltd. said it ended talks to sell Apple Inc.’s IPhone in China, stalling Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs’s plans to introduce the handset in the biggest market by users,” John Liu reports for Bloomberg.
“Rainie Lei, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for China Mobile, said she is unaware of any plans for further talks with Apple. She wouldn’t say why the discussions stopped. Jill Tan, a Hong Kong- based spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment,” Liu reports. “The negotiations ended because Apple wanted more revenue from game, music and video downloads than China Mobile would offer, the Sina.com Web site said today.”
“China Mobile, which already has an agreement to sell Research in Motion Ltd.’s Blackberry handsets in China, added 6.5 million subscribers in November for a total of 362.8 million. The carrier doesn’t rule out future cooperation with Apple, Lei said,” Liu reports. “China has more subscribers than the populations of the U.S., Japan, and the U.K. combined. The country was home to 539.4 million wireless-phone customers as of the end of November, according to government data.”
“Apple wanted 20 percent to 30 percent of fees from providing data services to iPhone users, Sina.com said, citing Gao Nianshu, director of China Mobile’s data services. China Mobile, the world’s biggest wireless-phone company by subscribers, charges users for downloading games, music and Web sites over its wireless network,” Liu reports. “The companies will meet for another round of talks, today’s Sina.com report said, without providing details.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Bob R,” “Steven,” and “Too Hot!” for the heads up.]
Please explain to us how this Bloomberg article can be headlined “China Mobile Ends Talks With Apple to Sell IPhone,” when it reports that the companies will meet for another round of talks? The article should be headlined “Apple and China Mobile take tea break during negotiations.” Leaks to the press during negotiations is standard procedure, but please, at least make the leaks make sense.


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The digital edition of Woodall’s Campground Magazine’s November 2021 issue — considered the annual ‘Show Issue’ — is now available on our website.
This month WCM took a look at the major conferences set to take place in November, including the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo, Kampground of America’s International Convention and Leisure System Inc.’s Symposium. The first in-person national conferences in two years, these shows are set to offer a variety of educational components, along with tradeshows that highlight hundreds of products.
WCM also dove into the history of three Florida parks, took a look at Northgate Resort’s Camp FIMFO brand and highlighted recent state association news, along with other stories. Of course, the issue also contains industry news and columns.


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Prezzo Formby are sadly closing down next month
Formby Bubble has been told today that Prezzo in Formby are sadly closing down on 28th April 2018. This news comes just weeks after Prezzo announced that it's Italian restaurant chain was set to close 94 of its restaurants as it tries to rescue its business.
We were told that the Formby Prezzo was here to stay on 4th March but, sadly that is no longer the case and a 'To Let' board has been erected today.
We have been told that some of the staff have managed to be re-located within the chain but others have not.
The move is part of a restructuring arrangement known as a company voluntary arrangement.
It means that the chain's debts are put on hold while the company looks for a buyer. It is a step before going into administration, reports the BBC.
It's thought that the move will result in around 1,000 job losses however Prezzo has said it will try to find staff new roles within the business.
The full list of Prezzo restaurants marked for closure are as follows:
Barnet (High Street)
Belfast (Victoria Square)
Belfast (Boucher Square)
Braintree (Freeport Village)
Bromley (Chimichanga, East Street)
Chelmsford (Baddow Road)
Deansgate - Manchester
Edinburgh (Pier Place)
Leicester (Silver Street)
Milton Keynes (Chimichanga)
Norwich (Thorpe Road)
Nottingham (Low Pavement)
Port Solent (Chimichanga)
Sheffield (Valley Centertainment)
Sheffield (Ecclesall Road)
South Woodford, London (Chimichanga)
St Annes on Sea
Stevenage (High Street)
Stratford Upon Avon
Wandsworth, London (Chimichanga)
Watford, London (Chimichanga)
The Formby Prezzo can be found at the end of Formby Village:
5 - 6 Halsall Lane,
Tel: 01704 831456


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Actors David Duchovny (Fox Mulder) and Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully) wrapped up shooting for the upcoming X-Files miniseries, which was filmed in Vancouver and other parts of B.C. The X-Files reboot is set to air on FOX in 2016. The original series was shot in Vancouver for the first five seasons of its nine-year run (1993-2002) before moving to Los Angeles in 1998.
Vancouver fashion fans flocked to the Vancouver Convention Centre West for the annual Aritzia Warehouse Sale. Slated as the biggest sale to date, the only thing bigger than the discounts — are the lines. The sale, which runs until Sept. 7 routinely draws thousands of shoppers in search of stylish deals and steals. Take a look at this year’s shopping frenzy.
B.C.’s local and artisanal meat and poultry producers have launched a smartphone app that will guide you straight to the restaurants and retailers that carry their products. “We know people want to buy local; they just need to know where to find it,” said Gillian Watt, program manager of BC Meats for BC Markets, part of a new branding effort by the province’s small-scale meat producers and processors.


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22nd Feb 17 SIDBI and Vijaya Bank combine together to provide micro loans to small businesses at concessional rates
SIDBI has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vijaya Bank to provide micro loans to small enterprises at concessional rates. The MoU is aimed at promoting and strengthening business units in MSE segment. SIDBI will provide loans to MSME units at a concessional rate of 9.60 percent under its scheme SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for MSMEs.
21st Feb 17 Capital Float to disburse Rs. 5,000 crore in SME loans during FY18
SME lending platform, Capital Float is planning to disburse Rs. 5,000 in SME loans during FY18. The company has partnered with various electronic platforms, cab services and payment gateways including Snapdeal, Shopclues, Paytm and Uber to offer loans to large number of small retail businesses and merchants. The company also plans to offer loans via mobile applications and its website to reach out to small businesses that rely heavily on chit funds and local moneylenders for loans.
18th Feb 17 Cash credit limit for MSMEs increased to 30 percent
Chennai government has increased the cash credit limit for MSMEs to 30 percent of the turnover against the existing limit of 20 percent with a view of encouraging MSMEs to conduct business digitally. Earlier in order to encourage MSMEs to focus on digitisation, the presumptive tax liability was reduced to 6 percent from existing 8 percent for the companies conducting business digitally.
17th Feb 17 Demonetization hits micro finance industry in third quarter of FY17
Demonetisation took a heavy toll on Indian micro finance industry both in terms of volume and value of loans and disbursed which fell considerably during the third quarter of FY17. Micro Finance institutions Network (MFIN) in its report has highlighted a decline of 26 and 16 percent respectively in the volume and value of micro loans disbursed during the third quarter of FY17.
16th Feb 17 India ratings maintains stable outlook for large state run banks with their ease of access to growth capital
Domestic rating agency Indian Ratings and Research maintained a stable outlook on large scale public sector and private sector banks, citing access to high level of capital as the reason. However, they retained a negative outlook on small state run banks due to limited access to capital and large non performing assets. The agency in its report highlighted that the banks would need Rs. 91,000 crore in tier-I till March, 2019 to grow at minimum pace of up to 9 percent CAGR.
*My Finance Care Advisors Pvt. Ltd., or https://www.myloancare.in is a bank neutral multi bank platform that helps borrowers and bank customers compare loans and deposits of all banks in India at one place. Information carried at this website is based on perusal of public sources and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation or invitation to borrow or lend. The Company does not assure as to the correctness of information carried at the website. Lenders/ banks/ other parties may contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org to provide corrections or updates. We may act as and/ or be associated with channel partners of banks and other sellers of financial products.


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Fashion Revolution Week happens every year during the week of the 24th of April to commemorate the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh, housed a number of garment factories, employing around 5,000 people. The people in this building were manufacturing clothing for many of the biggest global fashion brands. Over 1,100 people died in the collapse and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. The victims were mostly young women.
The global fashion industry has an enormous social impact and ecological footprint. Many of us don’t understand how the clothes we wear every day affect the world around us.
Last year, a major UK fashion brand launched a bikini that cost just £l, (which is approx. €1 .12or $1 .26 USD). When clothes cost less than the price of a coffee, it encourages us to buy more things than we actually need, without stopping to consider whether we will value these garments in the long-term. In fact, an MIT study estimated that some 150 billion items of clothing are produced every year. This volume of production has doubled in just the past fifteen years. As a society, we buy more clothing than ever before.
Meanwhile, a 2018 report from Onepoll found that 83% of UK consumers are buying clothes they never wear. Plus, in the UK we send around 350,000 tonnes of clothing (£140 million worth) to landfill every year, according to WRAP.
While we can all agree that price is not always an accurate measure of working conditions and wages for workers in the supply chain, £l sends a dangerous message about the value we place on clothing, the rate at which we consume it and the disregard for the wellbeing and livelihoods of the people who work so hard to make our clothes.
How can you help
Choosing to shop for pre-loved clothes, renting or buying from ethical brands instead of high street fashion, can make a difference on how the retail giants will operate in the future.
Since Fashion Revolution started, people from all over the world have used their voice and their power to tell brands that things must change. And it’s working. The industry is starting to change. More brands are being open about where their clothes are made. More manufacturers are making their factories safer. More producers are being seen and heard.
You can participate in the #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES campaign this #FashionRevolution Week. Tweet to your favourite brand, write them an email, or share your label on Instagram – and if they don’t answer right away, ask again. You can find templates and materials to use for free in their website: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/get-involved/
Have a look at the ethical fashion directory if you are looking to buy alternative more eco-friendly clothing.


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The entertainment business is in a state of flux. Writers and actresses are on strike, and streamers are worried about losing money. Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg reporter, discusses what viewers may expect.
HOST TERRY GROSS:
Terry Gross here with FRESH AIR. The film and television industries are in disarray. Striking actors and writers have forced a halt to production. Cable replaced broadcast television in terms of viewership. Cable then lost viewers to streaming TV. Broadcast cable and several streaming channels are now in jeopardy. The film business is also under jeopardy. People devote more time and money to video games than to movies, and they spend more time watching YouTube than any other television network. Big media businesses are acquiring or merging with other big media companies. Some of the acquired companies may be sold soon. Almost every company in Hollywood has slashed expenditures and laid off workers. Is the industry imploding or simply changing shape? And what does this signify for viewers and the entertainment industry’s future?
Lucas Shaw, my guest, is Bloomberg’s managing editor for media and entertainment and the creator of the monthly newsletter Screentime. He wrote for more than a decade about how the world’s largest technological giants have changed pop culture. Before we begin, I’d like to point out that the majority of FRESH AIR’s crew is a member of SAG-AFTRA, but they are covered by a different contract than the performers. I’m a member of SAG’s actor division since I’ve had several modest roles on screen, primarily as myself.
Welcome to FRESH AIR, Lucas Shaw. I think one approach to highlight how movies and television are evolving is to look at who owns what. Which megacorporations are the most powerful, and what do they own? So, can we conduct some media genealogy, for example? So let’s start with Warner Bros. Discovery?
LUCAS SHAW: All right, Warner Bros. Discovery is the merger of three previously distinct companies. There was Discovery Communications, which is best known for a slew of cable networks, including its own, as well as general lowbrow reality TV. There was Scripps Networks, which was another type of cable network bundle that featured HGTV and the Food Network. Then there’s Time Warner, which is home to the Warner Bros. film and television studio, as well as cable networks like TNT and TBS, as well as HBO. And Time Warner has undergone numerous mergers over the years. It was notably amalgamated with AOL, then separated and acquired by AT&T, the phone company, and turned into a division called WarnerMedia, which was later spun out and merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery.
GROSS: My mind is racing.
SHAW: I believe those companies’ employees feel the same way.
GROSS: Let me just add that we consider all of the channels and firms you listed to be autonomous entities with distinct identities. And now all of the ones you just listed have amalgamated into this one massive corporation. So, do brands lose their meaning?
SHAW: So, we’re in the midst of a major rethinking of what brands imply, right? For numerous decades, people watched television through broadcast and cable networks. And there were brands that climbed to prominence and had a significant impact. In my upbringing, it was Nickelodeon, MTV, ESPN, and all of these cable networks that were among the most popular brands among young people and people of all ages. And because cable networks have begun to diminish, many of them are being sold off, consolidated, and rebranded as a result of streaming and the advent of digital media.
GROSS: Let’s continue our ancestry and head to Disney.
SHAW: So, in the last 20 years or so, Disney acquired Pixar, the animation studio. It purchased Marvel, the comic book manufacturer. It purchased Lucasfilm, the company that created and controlled all of the “Star Wars” films. Then, a few years ago, it purchased various entertainment assets from Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation, including major television studios, TV networks like FX, and a movie studio.
GROSS: What does Paramount Global own?
SHAW: From the CBS broadcast network to cable networks like MTV, Comedy Central, and VH1, Paramount Global owns it all. It is currently attempting to sell BET, which it owns. And it’s the merger of two firms – CBS and Viacom – that have been merged and separated throughout the years but are now all one under the Redstone family, this time Shari Redstone, the daughter of iconic media magnate Sumner Redstone.
GROSS: So, what’s the deal here? Is this being done to appease shareholders? Is this happening because businesses just seek a competitive advantage and as little competition as possible? What is the point of this?
SHAW: It’s partly due to the creeping demise of cable television. So, most of the largest media and entertainment firms of the previous generation – many of them today generate a lot, if not the majority, of their money from cable networks. So the company we discussed, Paramount, makes the majority of its money from a slew of cable networks. Disney may not make the majority of its money from cable networks, but it does make a lot of money from them. However, the number of individuals who pay for cable, satellite, or other kinds of television has been declining for some years, and the rate of reduction has accelerated. Now, these cable networks make money in a few different ways. They generate money through distributor fees like Comcast and Charter, and then they make money from advertising. After many, many years of growth, the advertising sector has essentially plateaued. Some have fallen, but all of the rise in advertising has been in online media.
The money they get from distributors is tremendously affected because if you go from having 95 million people paying for your channel to now having 80 or 75, that just – even if you get rate hikes – you’re just not going to make as much money. As a result, all of these media businesses recognized the writing on the wall for the cable TV market. They’re attempting to manage the downturn because it still generates a lot of profit. However, businesses have responded by either developing their own streaming services, which they see as the future, owing to Netflix’s popularity, or merging because they see potential to save costs by combining employees. They gain clout in the marketplace. When negotiating with Comcast, if you control 20 cable networks instead of 10, Comcast will find it more difficult to push you around.
GROSS: If one business owns all of these different channels, some of which are specialty channels like Turner Classic Movies or HBO, how much does the parent firm care about specific channel identities? – Because it all boils down to profit and, you know, beating out the competition. So some things that are truly valuable cannot be quantified solely in terms of profit and comparison to the metrics of other organizations. So, am I incorrect to be concerned about the gradual annihilation of individual identities?
SHAW: I believe it depends on whatever individual identities are important to you. So you’re accurate that many of these networks and brands that people have grown attached to over the years are disappearing or being starved, right? Many of these media organizations, you know, have transferred resources from cable networks to streaming or are concentrating resources on a few networks. As an example, consider Warner Bros. Discovery had a period where they were producing original content for TNT, TBS, and other networks. They don’t actually do that anymore. Or you – we’ve discussed Turner Classic Movies. They believe they have committed too much money in that brand, thus they are significantly reducing their investment.
Disney has recently spoken up. The CEO, Bob Iger, stated in an interview that his television assets are “non-core,” which is code for “for sale.” That implies a network like ABC, which has been established for decades, may be in play. And so, if that’s important to you, it’s worrisome for the employees at those companies, and for some of the viewers. The counterargument is that new brands have emerged, and so if you really like Hulu or if you really like Disney+, it may serve as a replacement for what ABC has been for decades.
GROSS: You claim that Netflix and YouTube will eventually account for the same amount of TV viewership as all of the broadcast networks combined. That’s an incredible thought to have.
SHAW: And the truth is, that could be occurring right now. However, the gauge for it is this Nielsen statistic dubbed The Gauge, which primarily counts television viewership. Consider how much YouTube viewing occurs on a mobile device, and the total amount of time viewing those two could have already been exceeded. But, over the last decade or so, Netflix and YouTube have been the two companies that have completely revolutionized the entertainment and media business from two ends – you know, Netflix at the premium high end, very much like HBO, but breaking a lot of the rules of how the entertainment business has worked, and then YouTube at the lower end, creating this new generation of user-generated content that a lot of people love.
GROSS: And, of course, Google owns YouTube. So we’re back in the world of multinational corporations.
SHAW: Consider how large YouTube is – billions of people, the most watched video service in the world, the most utilized music service in the world. And it was so minuscule in the larger Google – or Alphabet, as the parent firm is known – empire that they didn’t even break out the revenue from YouTube until a few years ago.
GROSS: You know what company we didn’t name – I don’t think – and what they now own? Amazon.
SHAW: Amazon, like Netflix and Apple, developed its own studio from the ground up. They began over a decade ago. They have a video streaming service, you know. They also offer a store where you can rent movies and other services. So it’s a hybrid original streaming service, similar to Netflix, but with the shopping component that we all identify with Amazon. And they fund a lot of original television shows and movies for Prime Video’s original service. Some of their early hits included “Transparent,” “Mozart In The Jungle,” and “The Boys.” They also have a show called “Jack Ryan,” and they have “The Boys.” And they recently purchased MGM – you know, the iconic Hollywood studio that operates in both film and television – for about $8.5 billion, primarily to serve up intellectual property for exploitation across film and television. It will also enable Amazon release movies in cinemas, which is something they want to do but Netflix has so far refused to do.
GROSS: Let’s take a quick break here and then continue talking. If you’re new here, my guest is Lucas Shaw, who works for Bloomberg News and covers the evolving media landscape. We’ll be right there. This is NEW AIR.
(SOUNDBITE FROM “MISSING YOU” BY ULTRALUST)
GROSS: This is FRESH AIR, and I’d want to return to my interview with Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg News reporter who covers the media sector and its shifting landscape. And we’re talking about the shifting media landscape in the film and television industries, which is the backdrop for the writers and performers who are currently on strike.
So, let us return to Disney. To summarize, they control Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, ABC, FX, and ESPN. And the CEO, Bob Iger, stated last week that he is considering selling their television holdings. And, as you mentioned, he stated that they may not be core to Disney. So, what assets is he selling and why? ABC was mentioned.
SHAW: He didn’t say what he was going to sell. On ESPN, which has been the topic of much speculation for many years – because ESPN was truly the crown gem of the cable package. It gets the most money – or Disney gets the greatest money from cable companies – several bucks a month from everyone who has cable. However, ESPN has been hit harder than others by the drop, and Iger has stated that he would be open to a collaboration.
It’s worth noting that Hearst already owns a portion of ESPN. So Disney owns and controls the majority, but not the entire company. So, if it sells to a partner but retains ownership, it is only playing with around 30% of the company. There has been much speculation about who would or would not be interested in acquiring ESPN or a portion of it. Is that something that internet corporations like Apple and Amazon, which invest in sports, would be interested in? Is that what gaming businesses like DraftKings and FanDuel want? Is it a private equity firm? It’s a little hazy.
GROSS: Warner Bros. President David Zaslav. Discovery – which owns a lot of stuff, as we mentioned – sees him as indicative of the changes that the industry is going through today in television and movies, according to some industry observers. So, could you please elaborate on his participation in all of this? What, for example, is he doing that makes him a symbol of these changes?
SHAW: For a long time, David Zaslav was a part of the mogul class, albeit with a relatively small empire. You know, Discovery Communications – you know, he got paid like a Bob Iger, you know, 40, 50, $60 million each year. He attended all of the appropriate conferences. He had all the right people around him. But his empire was modest. Then he pulls off this incredible deal in which he convinces AT&T to sell them WarnerMedia and swallows the entire company. The issue he has is that the resulting corporation has a massive amount of debt, approaching $50 billion. That’s not all due right immediately; in fact, much of it isn’t. However, in the long run, he must find a means to pay that off.
GROSS: Hold on. Can I quit since you said 50 billion? – but with a B?
SHAW: That’s right, 50 billion with a B.
GROSS: That is a significant amount of debt.
SHAW: There’s a lot.
GROSS: All right.
SHAW: And he still has most of these cable networks, which are at best stable and at worst falling. And he has a streaming service – or two, in fact. He had Discovery Plus and HBO Max, which were doing well but not on the scale of Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon, or even Hulu, at least in terms of how much time people spent viewing it. As a result, he has spent much of the last year and a half just lowering expenditures, which has included terminating employees. That has been the case with shelving projects.
You know, he was a pioneer of this new technique in which people would take shows off streaming services. We’d become accustomed to the concept that shows would be released and remain available on streaming sites indefinitely. He yanked some of them down thinking it was a good way to save money. They had completed projects, such as “Batgirl,” but did not release them. And many in Hollywood’s creative community saw Zaslav as a totem for everything they thought was wrong with the business: that it had become too centralized, that everything was about the bottom line, and that no one cared about the artist.
Now, the truth is that I believe the firm has operated in this manner for a long time. But there’s no denying that the industry has been plagued by existential dread and perpetual turbulence for many years, and he is a symbol of it all. And he, along with Disney’s Bob Iger, have become quasi-villains in the labor dispute because they get paid so much money, they’ve cut all this staff, and it just doesn’t seem like they’re fully in touch with the regular worker in their business, and they don’t value the regular worker in their business.
GROSS: How much does Zaslav make?
SHAW: It varies by year, but suffice it to say, I believe he’s earned more than $1 billion in pay over the course of his career. There was a recent year when it was at least a couple of hundred million dollars. Much of that was attributable to stock and the transaction he carried out. These CEOs, you know, are extremely sensitive to criticism and will quickly point out that, oh, well, some of it is dependent on stock and our stock is down, so I’m not going to get paid that much money. But David Zaslav has been earning tens of millions of dollars every year for at least a couple of decades and owns a large number of residences. And, you know, I don’t think anyone will be concerned about him or several generations of his family.
GROSS: Right. So he’s extremely wealthy, has a large salary, including stock options, and yet he’s laying off thousands of workers. And, as you mentioned, the parent corporation is now $50 billion in debt. Are shareholders applauding him for this?
SHAW: No, it does not. The company’s answer last year – in 2022, the company’s shares sank substantially. You know, the value was pretty much eviscerated due of the unfavorable reaction to the company’s direction. It has now recovered to some extent this year, but it is still significantly lower than when it went public. So – and this is linked to a broader cynicism about the future of these media firms because he sits on a bunch of networks that aren’t producing more money. The advertising business is extremely volatile, and consumer trust in their streaming service is low.
These corporations have gone from bragging for years about how much money they were spending on new programming to build up these services to now bragging about how much money they’re saving. So, with the exception of Netflix, you could say he has now slashed enough to instill some trust, but it’s difficult to identify a media firm in which Wall Street has a lot of faith right now.
GROSS: But CEOs like Zaslav aren’t being punished with pay cuts or – you know, we’re $50 billion in debt, so we’re going to slash, like, $10 million from your salary or something like that, while so many people are laid off at the parent company’s subsidiaries.
SHAW: Many individuals in Hollywood have asked for these CEOs to forego their whole income and contribute it to some of the employees who have been dismissed or laid off, if not cut it. Or it’s certainly been a key talking point in both the writers’ and actors’ strikes, when workers have held to high salaries as proof of how out of touch bosses are. The executives would argue that the board authorizes it and the shareholders approve it, but in certain cases the shareholders do not, and that there is no relationship between their salary and some of these other activities.
GROSS: Okay, let me reintroduce you. If you’re new here, my guest is Lucas Shaw, a media reporter for Bloomberg. After a brief break, we’ll discuss how the film and television industries are evolving and how this is hurting the writers and actors who are now on strike. This is FRESH AIR with Terry Gross.
GROSS: Hello, my name is Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. Returning to my chat with Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg media business reporter. And we’re talking about the shifting environment – the significantly changing landscape in the film and television industries – and how that’s the backdrop for Hollywood’s current writers and actors strike.
Streaming was a terrific business when Netflix had the entire market to itself. Every channel and network now appears to have a streaming app. With so much competition, how has it altered the playing field?
SHAW: Well, Netflix and all of these other streaming services launched in an atmosphere where shareholders encouraged them to spend money on expansion. Interest rates were extremely low. Borrowing money was inexpensive. So you saw this across the media industry – and also across the technology industry – of deferring profits, of not needing to show profitability right away because you were trying to build out your service. For many years, this worked in Netflix’s benefit. And many of these other companies attempted to imitate it. The problem was that when everyone tried to replicate Netflix, there was a lot of rivalry for attention. They are all spending more money than they have in the past. You know, there was just a massive rise in output. We jumped from roughly 200 written TV shows released in 2009 to nearly 600 last year, effectively tripling the number. And there is a finite amount of attention, advertising dollars, and money that people can spend on that.
As a result, many businesses realized they were unable to compete. And this occurred at the same time or in the same time zone as inflation and the macroeconomic picture began to shift. As a result, investors expect these enterprises to be profitable. So they’re all in this really difficult situation where they’re significantly less profitable than they used to be at a time when that’s what Wall Street is focused on, so their share values are down. And there is no simple remedy since streaming was meant to be the answer, the rescuer. And no one seems to know how that will work.
GROSS: One of the reasons Netflix is still profitable despite the industry’s instability and change is because they are truly a worldwide corporation, with a large portion of their revenue coming from other nations. They’re even doing shows in other countries in other languages that are intended to be seen there.
SHAW: Approximately two-thirds of Netflix’s customers are located outside of the United States and Canada. They have a lot of consumers all around Europe, especially in Western Europe. They have a large customer base in countries such as Brazil and Mexico. They have a large consumer base in Australia and are rapidly expanding in locations like Japan and South Korea. And one of Netflix’s – you know, maybe not innovations, but one of the things I’ve liked the most about it despite its many shortcomings – is that it has united the world through programming. As a result, it has made significant investments in South Korea and in popularizing Korean dramas not only in Asia but throughout the world. They’ve – I believe they now generate original content in at least a couple of dozen nations.
And they’ve got titles, whether it’s “La Casa De Papel,” known in the United States as “Money Heist,” “Lupin” from France, or, maybe most famously, “Squid Game” from South Korea. Although the majority of people continue to watch television in their native language, Netflix has taken advantage of and developed creative classes in these other nations. It also benefits financially because the cost of producing concerts in a place like South Korea is far lower than in the United States.
GROSS: Do you believe Netflix subscription fees will be hiked further in the near future?
SHAW: Of course it is. I mean, they’re – I don’t think it’s going to happen soon. They’re in the process of eliminating one of their cheapest categories, which is referred to as the basic tier. However, there is a lot of sensitivity surrounding rising costs right now because of competition and simply because of inflation, where there is concern that many people may opt out. And, if you think about it, charging for password sharing is a form of price increase. It is simply boosting prices on folks who were not previously paying.
GROSS: I’d like to ask you about Amazon, since they’re a major player in the film industry right now. At the same time, I was startled to read in your reporting how much money they’ve spent on unsuccessful films or TV programs. We’re talking about a $250 million budget, which is what they spent on one season of “Citadel,” which barely entered the top 10. So, what’s the deal with how they’re gambling on movies and those bets aren’t paying off?
SHAW: Well, one of the byproducts of this – the initial exuberance and enthusiasm for streaming – was that the cost of making shows skyrocketed because new players like Netflix and Amazon had to convince famous writers, directors, and actors to work with them. And the method to accomplish this was to pay them more than they were receiving elsewhere. And you saw a lot of movie stars move into television because you could suddenly get paid a million and a half an episode, $2 million an episode, or $3 million an episode. Directors – you know, on the show “Citadel” you mentioned, Joe Russo, who along with his brother has worked on some big Marvel movies and they were producers on many other movies and TV shows – he’s going to get paid $25 million or around $25 million for his work on the second season of “Citadel.” That’s a pretty good payday for six to eight episodes of work.
In the case of Amazon, in particular, I believe they have been caught between two impulses: early on in streaming, everyone seemed to want to justify what they were doing by producing award-winning premium television like HBO. Netflix famously stated that they wanted to become HBO before HBO became Netflix, which I believe they accomplished very well. Amazon has also supported a significant amount of prestige programming. However, when you consider the core Amazon client, it is not someone who lives in Los Angeles or New York. Sure, there are many Amazon users there, but Amazon is primarily a mass market commerce service. Many of their consumers, you know, are not elite or wealthy. And so they did – they sought to deliver a combination of prestige television and more meat-and-potatoes type stuff. And the latter has been far more successful. But they’ve spent a lot of money on shows that are sort of in the middle, if you will, or that shouldn’t have cost nearly as much. You know, in the previous six to twelve months, they’ve launched maybe a half-dozen series that cost more than a hundred million dollars for a season, which is a lot of money, and only one or two of them could be considered successful in terms of audience.
GROSS: Barry Diller, the founder of Fox Broadcasting and USA Broadcasting, recently told Brooks Barnes, a reporter for The New York Times – and he was referring to Apple and Amazon, which now control a lot of the viewing – that you now have in control tech companies that don’t care or have any idea about the entertainment business. Each of these companies’ minor business, rather than their core business, is entertainment. Nonetheless, because of their size and influence, their small interests take precedence over any future decision.
So, do you think there’s any truth to what he’s saying, that with Apple and Amazon’s power in the media industry now, in television and movies, that they’re controlling a lot of the industry, but they’re not really – they don’t really care about movies and television, that they’re tech companies and not entertainment companies?
SHAW: You know, I feel like Barry Diller has been proclaiming the death of Hollywood for a long time now, so I take what he says with a grain of salt. But he is correct that the expansion of Amazon and Apple, which are now two of the six main studios in town – you know, they’ve replaced some of the others that have been consolidated in the mergers we’ve discussed – entertainment is not their primary business. And it points to the somewhat diminished significance of traditional film and television in broader culture, where it – as does the fact that YouTube is now larger than any TV network, that TikTok is as popular as any streaming service.
Film and television no longer have the same control on culture and youth that they once did. And if I were in charge of one of these classic media and entertainment businesses, it would be Warner Bros. It would certainly concern me if two of our top competitors didn’t care as much about earning money from cinema and television as we do since it implies the stakes are lower. The method will be different. And entertainment is simply a means of selling something else – in Amazon’s case, diapers, books, or whatever; in Apple’s case, phones and other things.
GROSS: Let’s take a quick break here and then continue talking. If you’re new here, my guest is Lucas Shaw, who works for Bloomberg and covers the media sector. We’ll be right there. This is NEW AIR.
(SOUNDBITE FROM “SAMBA DE PARIS” BY KYLE EASTWOOD)
GROSS: This is FRESH AIR, and I’d want to return to an interview I did yesterday with Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg reporter who covers the evolving media sector. And we’re focusing on the film and television industries, and how the entire business has been in disarray.
Let’s speak about the actors’ and writers’ strikes, and how what they’re asking for is a result of all of the things we’ve been discussing. Let’s start with the money and how they demand a cut of the proceeds from successful films and TV shows they create.
SHAW: When Netflix came around, a big part of their model was that they were going to pay people more upfront but buy out what’s known in the entertainment industry as the back end and sort of a profit share. Because when a movie comes out – say, “Mission: Impossible,” which is currently in theaters – Tom Cruise, the star of the movie and a producer in that movie, gets a cut of the movie’s revenue profits, that sort of thing, which is incredibly lucrative on a big hit. I believe Robert Downey Jr. made tens of millions of dollars from his profit portion in one of the “Iron Man” films. The streaming model flipped that, so you got paid more up front but didn’t have the same advantage or success.
In principle, this should have benefited everyone more, right? – because they treated every show as if it were a success. However, it also meant that when you had a huge success, you might not have gotten as much, or that because there was less transparency about viewing, you didn’t have the statistics to understand what was going on with your project. So there are all these things that Netflix brought that people now look back on and sort of regret consenting to, or it is a fundamental point that they are pressing for in these discussions.
GROSS: What else can we learn about the strikes and reconfiguration of the film and television industries that we’ve been discussing?
SHAW: One of the reasons I believe you’re seeing this labor slowdown is that workers in this industry believe they’re being taken advantage of. You know, there’s been this enormous surge in film and television output. That implies the workers are under greater strain than ever before because they are producing three times as much television and a lot more movies. And they don’t feel like they’re getting paid as much since the money is presumably being distributed to a wider range of people. And the folks at the top are still doing quite well, but the people in the middle and bottom aren’t faring as well. Some of that is tied to how residuals work and how individuals are compensated for reruns, which streaming has reshaped.
At the same time, media companies are claiming that they are losing money on these streaming services. You’re asking for enormous wage raises, which we can’t offer you because we’re trying to make our businesses operate. As a result, the negotiations and these contracts occurred at a very perilous time for these two parties, both of whom felt disgruntled.
GROSS: I believe all sides of the strike recognize that the industry is in trouble. COVID turned everything off. And everyone on both sides of the strike was attempting to recover and expecting that the industry would rebound. As a result of the strikes, everything is once again shut down. That appears to be an incentive for both parties to stay at the table and try to resolve this so that the industry can begin to recover. Why isn’t that a compelling enough reason to reach an agreement?
SHAW: Well, in the case of the performers, I believe they spent some time attempting to strike an agreement with the studios. And it was clear that they were too far apart. And once you go on strike or make the decision to go on strike, you have to spend at least a few weeks putting pressure on the other person to see if it will get them back to the table and alter their ideas.
You are correct that a long labor stoppage, particularly one resulting from COVID, is not helpful for anyone, especially given the other issues in the business that we have discussed. You know, it’s nearly a given that there will be a significant gap in the movie release calendar next summer. That will not benefit anyone. Depending on how long the strike lasts, all of these streaming services will be short on programming next year. That will not benefit anyone. Obviously, despite having signed a contract, all of these authors, performers, and directors are out of work because there isn’t a lot of production to go around. They aren’t making any money.
But I believe that the guild and the union both believe that this is their moment and that they must draw a line in the sand. They’ve watched the impact of streaming over the years and believe they haven’t garnered enough benefits from it. The last time writers went on strike was at the dawn of the streaming industry, in 2007, 2008, just as Netflix and Hulu were launching. As a result, this one acts as a sort of coda to the age of this streaming boom, where everyone now wants to figure out how to get paid more effectively.
For the media firms, I believe part of the problem is that, in the short term, they benefit from the strike since they are not spending as much money to produce programmes. That is short-term thinking. It is not beneficial to them in the long run. And that does not apply to every business. But, if you’re a Bob Iger or a David Zaslav worried about expenses, not having to make TV shows for a few months isn’t the worst thing in the world. That doesn’t mean I think they desire a strike, but it does mean that the cost of taking a few months off isn’t as high as it could have been when they were trying to launch a service a few years ago.
GROSS: Do you believe this will have a long-term impact on how TV networks and cable companies program themselves?
SHAW: It’s possible. I recently spoke with a senior executive at one of these companies. And maybe some of the things they’re doing in prime time on a network work, and they keep going? Do they preserve a 90-minute edition of “Survivor” if a network has 90 minutes of it and people watch it? You know what I’m worried about for some of these firms is that viewership for many of these shows has already been declining, right? So, if you have late-night shows like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, they’ve been off since the writers’ strike began. They’ll be gone for months. How many of those viewers will never return?
GROSS: Correct. You form new habits.
SHAW: Whether it’s TikTok and YouTube or starting to watch something on Netflix instead. You know, if you look at the – Netflix’s share of TV viewership touched an all-time high in June. Is this because people are spending less time viewing traditional television? It very well may be.
GROSS: Well, Lucas, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Also, thank you for covering media and the shifting scene.
SHAW: I appreciate the opportunity. It’s been an honor.
GROSS: Lucas Shaw is Bloomberg’s managing editor for media and entertainment and the creator of the monthly publication Screentime. Following a brief intermission, book critic Maureen Corrigan will recommend two works for summer reading. This is NEW AIR.
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Samsung has quietly announced the Galaxy Tab A, listing the tablet on its online store in Germany.
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Restaurant-inspection update: roach-infested rice, ‘old meat’ and mouse droppings
In the past month, state and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and grocery stores for hundreds of food-safety violations. (Photo by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including cockroach-infested rice, rodent droppings, “old meat” and filthy kitchens.
The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.
The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals’ website.
One Stop, 350 Highway 141, Charter Oak – During a March 15 visit, an inspector noted there were multiple food items that were not held at the proper temperature to ensure safety, including eight containers of commercially processed coleslaw and macaroni salad that were stored at temperatures of up to 64 degrees.
In addition, the inspector found three packages of hot dogs held at 46 degrees; four packages of bologna held at 46 degrees; and nine individually wrapped sandwiches and wraps that included chicken, ham, cheese and turkey held at temperatures of up to 50 degrees. The store agreed to remove the items from the shelves.
The inspector also found diced tomatoes in the pizza-preparation area that were chopped eight days earlier and had to be discarded. Also, some hot foods were being held at temperatures too cool to ensure their safety, including a cheeseburger that was measured at 114 degrees and cheese curds that were measured at 103 degrees. The items were reheated to 165 degrees and returned to the shelves for sale. The restaurant was last inspected in March 2020.
China Star Buffet, 1105 N. Quincy Ave., Ottumwa – During a March 15 visit, an inspector noted that the kitchen staff was cutting and preparing melons with their bare hands. The melons were then discarded. The inspector also found that chicken in the buffet line was holding at 119 degrees and crab Rangoon was holding at 110 degrees. Both items were returned to the kitchen and reheated to 165 degrees.
Also in the buffet line, the inspector found lettuce that was holding at 54 degrees and sliced melons that were measured at 49 degrees, rather than 41 degrees or colder. The lettuce and melons were then discarded.
The inspector also reported that cooked chicken, cream cheese and stuffed mushrooms were all stored in a walk-in cooler with no date markings to ensure they were fresh and safe. Also, raw fish was thawing while submerged in standing water, what appeared to be mouse droppings were seen in the corner of a storage area, and cleaned beverage glasses were being stored wet.
Provisions Lot F, 2400 N. Loop Drive, Ames – During a March 14 visit, an inspector observed employees handling French toast with their bare hands and noted that raw egg whites were being stored over ready-to-eat items, risking cross-contamination.
Also, several items – including honey balsamic dressing, pickled onions, Caesar dressing, asiago dressing, and pepper poppers – were being held beyond the maximum of seven days. In addition, the pasta maker was visibly soiled, with the staff explaining that the device was not being sanitized between uses. The establishment was last inspected in July 2020.
Red Lobster, 1100 Buckeye Ave., Ames – During a March 14 visit, an inspector noticed that potatoes were stored directly below a ceiling with a “visible leak,” which resulted in a “liquid build up” on the food. The contaminated products were discarded.
The inspector also noted that the required tags designating the origin of shell seafoods were missing, and that a server was garnishing drinks with their bare hands. The restaurant was also cited for failing to display its last inspection report where customers could read it. The restaurant was last inspected in March 2020.
The Rock Bar American Grill, 219 2nd SE Ave., Cedar Rapids – During a March 14 visit, an inspector reported that raw eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods, risking cross-contamination; cooked pork chops, cooked sliced beef, and salsa stored in plastic containers had no date-markings on them, which was a repeat violation; and there was no sanitizing solution in use at the time of the inspection. The restaurant was last inspected in February 2020.
Flip’n Jacks Pancake House & Eatery, 1520 S. Dayton Place, Ames – During a March 13 visit, an inspector noted that cooked potatoes were being stored on the kitchen floor under a sink. At the inspector’s direction, the potatoes were moved to a walk-in cooler.
The inspector also noted that there were no chlorine test strips on site to check the efficacy of the sanitizing solution that was being used; the handwashing sink did not have adequate hot water; chicken was being stored in a cooler over cooked potatoes; and raw eggs were not stored in a refrigerator or cooler. The visit was in response to an illness complaint that was ruled unverifiable. The restaurant was last inspected in September 2021.
Maggie’s Rumble Room, 1430 2nd Ave., Des Moines – During a March 10 visit, an inspector observed an employee handling with their bare hands ready-to-eat buns for sandwiches. Also, the hot-holding case was being used to store pizza at 117 degrees – too cool to ensure the food’s safety. The pizza was then discarded. In addition, alfredo sauce prepared on March 1 – beyond the seven-day limit – was found inside the reach-in cooler, and the dishwashing machine wasn’t capable of reaching the minimum sanitizing temperature of 165 degrees.
Also, bags of onions, sugar and salt were stored directly on the kitchen floor; the area around the fryers was visibly soiled with accumulated debris; the stand-up food mixer was visibly soiled; the mop sink had a significant leak; the floor was visibly soiled with accumulated debris; and the restaurant’s food-service license had expired in January 2023. The restaurant was last inspected in January 2022.
Mongolian Buffet, 1620 S. Kellogg Ave., Ames – During a March 10 visit, an inspector found several cans of food that were severely dented and had to be set aside for return to the supplier. Also, raw meat was stored above ready-to-eat foods inside a walk-in cooler, risking cross-contamination; and cooked noodles, cream cheese filling and tomatoes had no date markings to ensure their freshness and safety.
In addition, several cold products – including lettuce, cottage cheese, sprouts, cream cheese filling, and cooked noodles – were stored above the maximum temperature of 41 degrees. Also, the sushi was not marked with the initial temperature and time when the product was removed from cold storage and had to be discarded, and the staff was not properly using the written time-and-temperature log to help ensure the sushi was safe.
The inspector also observed three live cockroaches and noted that boxes of single-use food items were being stored directly on the floor. Also, the shelving inside the walk-in cooler was not being kept clean. The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint that alleged problems with general sanitation, improper holding temperatures and inadequate cooking. The inspector ruled the complaint was unverifiable.
The restaurant had been inspected in November 2022, at which time the inspector reported finding several dead cockroaches inside two different bulk containers of rice. In December, the inspector returned and reported observing several live cockroaches and 10 dead cockroaches throughout the establishment. In January of this year, the inspector returned again and reported seeing four live cockroaches and 10 dead cockroaches. In February, the inspector returned for a third time and reported observing several live cockroaches.
Osaka Sushi Steakhouse, 1903 Park Ave., Muscatine – During a March 8 visit, an inspector noted that raw eggs were stored over individual portions of sauce in the food-prep cooler, risking cross-contamination, and raw shrimp was stored above spices and dry goods in the cooler. Also, raw, unpackaged shrimp was stored above ready-to-eat dessert items such as ice cream and cheesecake, and raw chicken was stored above over raw beef.
The inspector also noted that the interior of the ice machine was soiled and access to the handwashing sink was blocked by a table. In addition, utensils used to scoop rice were stored in a container of room-temperature water, and there were no test kits on hand to check the efficacy of the sanitizing solution. The restaurant was last inspected in September 2019.
Marzetti Frozen Pasta, 803 8th St. SW, Altoona – On March 7, inspectors visited the business as a follow-up to prior inspections to determine whether the business had taken steps to address a pest-control issue identified in December 2022.
“There have been many changes to the company’s pest control program to include long-term residual chemical application inside interior walls in problem areas,” the inspector reported.
Insects resembling cockroaches were observed both dead and alive.
– Inspector's report for Marzetti Frozen Pasta of Altoona
In December, inspector visited the business in response to a non-illness complaint alleging the presence of insects, believed to be cockroaches. At that time, management acknowledged they had “a cockroach problem” and had been working with a pest-control company to resolve the issue. The complaint was deemed verified.
“Insects resembling cockroaches were observed both dead and alive around and under the double-arm mixer, the small day mixer, and underneath the floor mat in the boiler room,” the inspector noted.
Best Western Regency Inn, 3303 S. Center St., Marshalltown – During a March visit, an inspector noted that the walk-in cooler was not keeping any of the food at 41 degrees or colder, as required. Cooked bacon was measured at 55 degrees, sliced ham was measured at 49 degrees, and various dressings were measured at 49 degrees. All of the temperature-controlled foods in the cooler were discarded. The visit was in response to a complaint pertaining to pest control. The complaint was ruled unverifiable. The establishment last underwent a food-safety inspection in February 2022.
D’Lua Fusion Cuisine & Bar, 5185 18th St., Bettendorf – During a March 6 visit, an inspector observed sausage links in a steam table that were holding at 125 degrees, alongside gravy that was measured at 92 degrees – too cool to ensure their safety. Because they had been in the steam table for less than an hour, they were reheated for service to customers.
The inspector also made note of hashbrowns that were sitting out and were measured at 49 degrees. Several other food items – such as flautas, bean dip and tortilla rojas – had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety.
On March 15, inspectors returned and reported, “Several products were observed in the walk-in cooler without proper date markings … Improvements have been seen but additional work is needed.”
Prior to this month’s inspections, the restaurant was last inspected in August 2022.
The Horny Toad American Bar & Grill, 204 Main St., Cedar Falls – During a March 6 visit, an inspector reported that onions, chicken and sauces were stored in covered containers, and frozen burgers and pizza were being stored, unwrapped, on metal shelving in a freezer. The inspector also made note of gravy, mashed potatoes and grilled onions that were holding at 100 degrees – far too cool to ensure their safety — after being left in a steam table for 90 minutes. The items were reheated to 165 degrees and returned to service.
Also, a bucket of sanitizing solution had no measurable amount of concentrated sanitizing fluid in it; the can opener and cold-holding unit were marred by a buildup of food debris; and the ice machines had a “black buildup” of some kind.
A large toaster oven was heavily soiled with food debris; the fan inside a walk-in cooler was reported to be moldy; and there was an excessive amount of debris in corners, under equipment, and in the coolers. The restaurant was also cited for failing to post its most recent inspection report where it could be read by customers.
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 2201 4th St. SW, Mason City – During a March 6 visit, an inspector noted that the cooks were not washing their hands and were seen handling bacon, eggs, and toast with their bare hands. The inspector also reported there were many containers of food, including bread-based stuffing, whipped salad, cut melons, and bean salad, that either had no date markings to ensure their freshness and safety or the markings were unclear.
Also, there was pancake batter covering the floor of one cooler, and the floors of the cook line were soiled with food debris and garbage. “Based on the number of violations, an in-person physical recheck will be conducted on or around April 5th, 2023,” the inspector reported. The restaurant was last inspected in October 2022.
Sam’s Main Street Market, 123 E. Main St., Solon – During a March 3 visit, an inspector reported that raw cod was stored above ready-to-eat, house-made foods and raw eggs were stored above other ready-to-eat foods, risking cross-contamination.
Sliced tomatoes and other foods lacked any date-markings to ensure their freshness and safety, and the inspector found “multiple packages of deli meats” in a display case and cooler that were beyond their expiration date. The expired foods included American and pepperjack cheese loaves, deli salad, and containers of garlic, cilantro, salmon lox, snack packs and meat sticks. All of the expired foods were then discarded.
In addition, the inspector noted a plumbing leak that resulted in water pooling on the floor of one cooler and reported that the most recent inspection report had not been posted for customers to read.
A warning letter was issued to the establishment and on March 10, the inspector returned in response to a non-illness complaint pertaining to adulterated foods. The complaint was verified, with the inspector noting meat products were being held beyond the allowable dates and had to be discarded. However, no violations were cited at that time.
Wing Stop, 521 E. 14th St., Des Moines – During a March 3 visit, an inspector noted that the person in charge did not demonstrate knowledge of the federal food code. Specifically, the person in charge was unable to explain critical limits for temperature control for foods or explain the appropriate procedures for cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food-contact surfaces. In addition, the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager.
The inspector reported that jalapeño cheese sauce was measured at 100 degrees in a cheese dispenser – which was far too cool to ensure its safety. The cheese was discarded, and the restaurant agreed to halt the use of the dispenser until it could be serviced or replaced.
In addition, the sanitizer buckets used throughout the establishment had no measurable amount of concentrated sanitizing solution in them. Also, utensils and equipment, including spatulas and plastic food containers, were stored as “clean” despite surfaces that were visibly soiled with accumulated debris. In addition, the handwashing sinks were not capable of producing hot water that reached a temperature of at least 100 degrees.
The inspector also noted that the restaurant did not have a food thermometer on the premises, and the wall around the mop sink and behind the soda fountain syrup boxes was visibly soiled with accumulated debris. The inspector also noted that the restaurant’s food-service license had been expired for more than 60 days. The restaurant was last inspected in March 2020.
Treehouse Pub & Eatery, 2239 Kimberly Road, Bettendorf – During a March 1 visit, an inspector noted that raw ground beef was stored above lettuce in the walk-in cooler, risking cross-contamination. Also, pulled pork was stored in a hot-holding unit and was measured at only 110 degrees – too cool to ensure its safety.
In addition, refrigerated drawers were holding various foods at 45 to 46 degrees, which was above the maximum of 41 degrees, and several temperature-sensitive foods, such as cottage cheese, coleslaw and pasta salad, were stored at 45 to 48 degrees and had to be discarded.
The inspector also reported that “the majority of prepared food dishes and open packages of commercially processed food products” had no date markings on them – a violation that had been noted during previous inspections. The inspector also found a container of pasta salad that had been prepared on Feb. 21, and a container of creamy garlic dressing that had been prepared Feb. 9. Both items, which were past their seven-day limit, were discarded.
A food slicer was marred by leftover dried food debris, and the interior of the large reach-in cooler, the interior of the main food-prep table, and the interior of the pizza-prep table were all noted to be soiled with a buildup of food debris.
In addition, two trays of cooked chicken breasts were seen sitting out at room temperature. “Today is the third routine inspection in a row where date-marking practices have been marked as out of compliance,” the inspector reported.
On March 13, the inspector returned and reported ongoing violations with regard to date-markings: “Several prepared products observed being held in the walk-in cooler for longer than 24 hours without proper date-marking (pasta salad, house-made dressing, cooked chicken wings, coleslaw, etc.).” The inspector also reported that the interior of the pizza prep cooler “still has a buildup of food debris along the bottom of the unit and grime along the shelves.”
East China, 2108 Kimball Ave., Waterloo – During a Feb. 24 visit, an inspector found that the person in charge was not ensuring food was cooled properly and held at proper temperatures, or seeing to it that kitchen equipment was properly cleaned and sanitized. The inspector reported finding “packages of old meat and expired food” inside one freezer, and said meat and other food products were being stored inside trash bags in a walk-in cooler.
In addition, the meat slicer and other food-contact surfaces throughout the kitchen were reported to have an “excessive buildup and dried food bits” on them. Fried chicken was found stored on a countertop and was measured at 66 degrees. Food products throughout the refrigerator and walk-in cooler were not labeled or date-marked to ensure their freshness and safety.
Shrimp and chicken were found thawing in a tub of water in a sink designated for washing kitchenware; containers of rice, flour and other food products were not properly identified; boxes of food were stored on the floor of a walk-in cooler; clean pot, pans and utensils were stored on dirty counters” in the kitchen; there was no test kit on hand to check the efficacy of the sanitizing solution used in the kitchen; and there was an excessive buildup of grease, dirt, and food debris on the floors and walls of the kitchen.
There was also an “excessive buildup of grease/dirt and food debris” on the equipment in the kitchen. The inspector discussed with the manager the need for “deep cleaning” and the removal of personal items and clutter. The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint regarding cleanliness. The complaint was deemed verified.
Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh Express, 510 W. McLane St., Osceola – During a Feb. 24 visit, an inspector found prepared meals in a cooler that were dated Feb. 4, and sausage gravy that was dated Feb. 12 – indicating both sets of items were well past the date they could be safely consumed. The expired food items were discarded.
Toledo Nutrition, aka T-Nutrition, 123 W. 3rd St., Tama – During a Feb. 24 visit, an inspector found that “several large dispensers of prepared powdered drink mix” had mold or a mildew-like like growth on them. All of the prepared beverage mixes were then discarded and the establishment’s drink dispensers were cleaned and sanitized.
The inspector also found that no sanitizing had been taking place, with items simply being washed and rinsed. In addition, one handwashing sink and the sink in the restroom had no available hot water. Further investigation showed the water heater was inoperable, leaving the entire establishment without access to hot water. The establishment was also cited for failing to post the results of its most recent inspection. The business was last inspected in June 2022.
Facility had a high number of violations that could lead to a potential foodborne illness.
– Inspector's comment about D'Lua On The River in Davenport
Villas Patio, 5200 Fountains Drive NE, Cedar Rapids – During a Feb. 24 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for 11 critical violations – an unusually high number. The inspector reported that the staff’s lack of knowledge as to where and when to wash their hands, as well inconsistent date-marking of food, and food handling that created a rick of cross-contamination, indicated the workers were not adequately trained in food-safety procedures.
The inspector reported that various foods – including dairy products and cooked rice – were not date-marked. In addition, the inspector found a pan of chicken that was date-marked Feb. 13 — 11 days prior to the inspection – and which had to be thrown out. The inspector also made note of containers of shredded lettuce that were stacked on the floor. The restaurant’s most recent inspection report, from October 2021, had not been posted.
D’Lua On The River, 1201 E. River Dr., Davenport – On Feb. 23, the restaurant was cited for 10 violations, an unusually high number. The inspector reported that the person in charge had not ensured the proper sanitation of equipment and surfaces, the dishwashing machine was not properly calibrated, and the main cooks did not “know how to properly wear gloves” and did not have adequate access to proper handwashing facilities.
The inspector watched as one employee used a rag contaminated with “raw chicken juice” to wipe off their gloves, and to clean food-preparation surfaces. Another employee used their gloved hands to pick up raw chicken, then proceeded to wipe their hands off on a rag, then open containers of tortillas meant for customer use. The worker then contaminated the ingredients meant for taco toppings.
The inspector also reported that prepared shredded beef was being heated to only 100 degrees, rather than 165 degrees, before being placed onto a steam table. “Facility was recently opened within the past three months,” the inspector reported. “Facility had a high number of violations that could lead to a potential foodborne illness.”
D.C.’s, 124 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City – During a Feb. 21 inspection, the restaurant was cited for 11 critical violations – an unusually high number. The inspector reported watching one employee handling ready-to-eat food with their bare hands, and found opened sauces that required refrigeration stored on shelves at room temperature.
In addition, house-made dressings lacked any date-markings; there was debris found inside an ice machine; an employee’s ibuprofen was stored alongside bottles of condiments for customers’ use; there was no sanitizing solution in use; and there were no test strips available for checking the efficacy of any sanitizing solution.
The inspector also made note of a “heavy debris buildup” on the food-prep coolers, the food-prep tables and a table-top oven. There was also a heavy buildup of debris on the floors and walls, under storage equipment, and the fryers in the kitchen. The inspector reported the visit was in response to an illness complaint alleging a customer became ill after consuming a meal at the establishment. The complaint was ruled unverifiable. The restaurant was last inspected in July 2021.
Sasquatch Jack’s, 118 10th St. SW, Waverly – During a Feb. 17 inspection, the restaurant was cited for 10 critical violations, an unusually high number. The inspector reported finding chicken stored above whole-muscle beef, creating a risk of cross-contamination; and a “box of frozen chips” was found uncovered in a freezer.
Also soups and sauces in a steam table were measured at 100 degrees, having failed to reach the required temperature of 165 degrees; raw onions and containers of raw chicken had no date-markings on them; and multiple food items in the coolers had been held past the maximum of seven days, with some of the food items being held in excess of 12 days.
There was no detectable amount of sanitizing solution being used in the three-compartment sink and the “presence of insects” was noted in the dry storage area. In addition, the freezer and coolers were heavily soiled, and the most recent inspection report had not been posted for customers to read.
Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated that One Stop in Charter Oak was last inspected in March 2000. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals says the restaurant was last inspected in March 2020.
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President Joe Biden on Friday announced that major U.S. manufacturers have made commitments to boost their reliance on small and medium American firms for 3D printing, like United Performance Metals, which has around 200 employees.
United Performance Metals, headquartered in Hamilton and maintains 10 service centers globally, provides end-to-end innovative supply chain solutions for the additive manufacturing market from feed-stock supply management to finished part manufacturing. The company also offers closed-loop refurbishment of existing build plates through additional milling and grinding, and wire EDM build-plate removal.
“We are thrilled to launch our new innovative additive facility as it builds on our history of providing specialty solutions and services to the most innovative companies in the world,” said J.J. Johnson, general manager of the new additive facility. “We have been working hard over the last two years to build this facility and the feedback from customers has been incredible.”
United Performance Metals has customers in various industries, including aerospace, defense, space, fastener, medical, power generation, oil and gas, and semiconductor.
Biden is pushing Congress to approve Bipartisan Innovation Act, a bill Congress is still considering since its introduction last year. The Associated Press has reported the president has said it’s critical to bolster domestic manufacturing and help solve a semiconductor shortage that has delayed the production of gaming devices, smartphones, laptops, and life-saving medical devices.
The Bipartisan Innovation Act includes $52 billion to invest in American semiconductor manufacturing and research. Biden said if this bill is passed, it will help “bring down prices, bring home jobs, and power America’s manufacturing comeback.”


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St. Louis' Top 150 Privately Held Companies: 1-25
(Page 8 of 17)
This summer the family-owned company will open downtown St. Louis’ only full-service grocery. The company also will open a new flagship store in Des Peres in August. Last October it aquired O’Fallon’s Hart Food & Drug and Bethalto Park N Shop in Illinois. Schnucks is one of the region’s largest employers and operates 105 stores and 101 pharmacies in seven states.
Leadership: Chairman and CEO Scott Schnuck, President Todd Schnuck
2007 revenue: $2.4 billion (rank 9)
Employees: 10,700 local, 15,500 total
10. UniGroup Inc.
2008 revenue: $2.1 billion -4.5%
For transportation giant UniGroup Inc., business is directly linked to the crumbling real estate market, so a revenue decline of 4.5 percent last year shouldn’t come as a surprise. The company, which operates movers United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, is focusing on offering more customized moves and new services. Carl Walter, vice president of marketing, said one such service helps customers set up their home theater systems and computer networks.
The company hopes to increase the popularity of its CityPointe program, which allows customers to get cash back on their move if they use one of UniGroup’s preferred real estate agencies. On average, customers get $2,300 back. “Even when times are tough, we have to look to the future and look at differentiating our brands,” Walter said. UniGroup’s stock is controlled by 280 agent shareholders and about 20 executive managers.
Leadership: Chairman H. Daniel McCollister, President and CEO Richard McClure
2007 revenue: $2.2 billion (rank 10)
Employees: 1,193 local, 1,263 total
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Entries in 'gearbox' (26)
Developer Gearbox has found itself at the centre of a storm over a decision to partner with online key seller G2A.
Developer Gearbox Software has revealed that it was in talks with Nintendo to bring the next instalment in the Borderlands franchise to Switch, but the platform’s holder didn’t carry on ...
Rumours of a remastered release of 2011 shooter Bulletstorm have been proven correct.
Gearbox’s multiplayer shooter seems to be about to launch some sort of free-to-play or free-to-try offer.
A new premium currency is being introduced to Battleborn.
The lead writer for Gearbox’s recently-released shooter Battleborn has left the studio.
Developer Gearbox has built up a reputation for producing some critically acclaimed online shooters.
The head of Battleborn developer Gearbox has interpreted Blizzard’s decision to pitch Overwatch against it as proof that both studios are on to something.
Gearbox has announced Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak will be released in just over a month.
3D Realms' Duke Nukem spiritual successor Bombshell has been delayed to early next year, the publisher has announced.
You’ll have to wait an extra three months to play the next shooter from Borderlands creator Gearbox.
The long running feud between Gearbox and 3D Realms is officially over.
2K Games has confirmed an early 2015 release date for FPS title Battleborn.
What makes a good game? Is it possible to quantify what ‘good’ means? No it’s not, Randy Pitchford argues. You may not like Aliens: Colonial Marines, but he certainly does.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has suggested he would be open to working with another studio on the Duke Nukem franchise.
Randy Pitchford, president and CEO of Gearbox Software, believes that even hatred from gamers is a sign that you have accomplished something as a developer.
Elder Scrolls Online creative director Paul Sage has quit Zenimax Online Studios to join Borderlands studio Gearbox.
US studio Gearbox Software has reportedly settled its lawsuit against Duke Nukem creator 3D Realms.
Gearbox Software’s Matthew Armstrong is leaving the studio.
Following its digital release on PC in February, Gearbox’s Homeworld Remastered is getting a physical release next month.
2K Games title Borderlands 2 has now sold over 12m units since its release in September 2012.
Gearbox's next major Borderlands release will bypass PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms for their new-gen counterparts, according to publisher 2K.
Homeworld Remastered Collection will be released next month.
Borderlands developer Gearbox Software has embarked on a major recruitment drive as it begins work on a new entry in the franchise.


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FedEx Express Supports European Trade Growth With Hub Expansions in France, Germany
PARIS, June 3, 2008 - FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) and the world’s largest transportation company, has announced two major European hub projects to meet the growing demands of European business—a major expansion to its European hub in Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, Paris, and a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly facility in Cologne.
The expansion at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle by September 2009 and the building of a major new facility at Cologne by spring 2010, announced at an event hosted at Roland Garros, will dramatically increase capacity at the two hubs—ensuring that FedEx Express can continue to provide a seamless service for customers who wish to access European and global markets while minimizing impact on the environment.
The European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs stated that in 2007 the European zone recorded its fastest economic growth rate since 2000, and that Europe was sharing in the benefits of the trend towards greater globalization. As manufacturers continue to move towards a global sourcing and production model, the demand for fast and reliable transportation services is increasing, and critical to the growth and success of European industry.
European trade performance brings greater business opportunities both within Europe, and in the global marketplace. FedEx continues to build its network across Europe to support this growth, with sustainable development of its hub facilities across the continent.
“These major developments of hubs at the very heart of our European operations demonstrate our commitment to playing a central role in the future growth of the continent as a whole,” said Robert W. Elliott, president, Europe, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, FedEx Express. “At both Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Cologne, we believe we have found innovative and practical solutions to our need to expand our operations that are good for business and the environment.”
The relocation of FedEx Express main hub for Central and Eastern Europe from Frankfurt to Cologne will allow FedEx Express to create a state-of-the-art facility with the very latest environmental design to meet the rapidly growing demand for express services in Germany and Eastern Europe. As FedEx continues limited operations at the Frankfurt International Airport, the new facility will bring new jobs to the Cologne/Bonn region and further improve working conditions for employees.
The facility at Cologne is estimated to feature a 1.4-megawatt solar power system with the capacity to produce approximately 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year—enough to power more than 370 homes each year. The new ramp and sort facilities, which will be built on approximately 50,000 square metres, will include 16,000 square metres of roof space for solar panels.
The Roissy-Charles de Gaulle hub is already the biggest outside of the United States. With the extension work, which was launched by Aéroports de Paris at the request of FedEx, sorting capacity will be increased from 24,000 to 31,500 packages per hour and the sort area from 49,000 to 72,000 square metres. The hub’s new sorting systems will be ready for September 2009.
The FedEx expansion at the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle hub maintains its commitment to minimizing impact on the environment, with more than 250 Liquefied Petroleum Gas-powered and electric-powered ground support vehicles at the hub - accounting for 62% of its ground support vehicles.
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $37 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 employees and contractors to remain absolutely, positively focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit the newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom.
Picture: Copyright A. Papaïs


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Emal, Dubal unveil key products in US
New York, June 18, 2012
UAE's leading aluminium smelters Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) and Emirates Aluminium (Emal) jointly showcased their innovative product portfolios at the second Annual Aluminium Summit held in New York.
A number of senior industry representatives were at the summit which was hosted by leading metals publication, American Metal Market from June 11 to 13.
Both Dubal and Emal leveraged the opportunity to reach the high-profile clients by participating jointly in the exhibition component held alongside the summit.
The duo showcased their key products at the joint Dubal-Emal stand during the US summit in line with its plan to boost its market share.
Dubal said its marketing and sales team was responsible for marketing the metal produced by Emal which amounted to 288,568 MT of cast aluminium in 2010, and 749,000 MT in 2011; in addition to Dubal's own sales, which exceeded one million tonnes in both years.
On its debut show, Walid Al Attar, the executive vice president (marketing & sales) at Dubal and VP (marketing & sale) at Emal said,“Our participation reflects our continued confidence in the potential growth within this market going forward – a sentiment that is echoed in efforts already invested to strengthen our existing marketing and sales offices in the US."-TradeArabia News Service


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Amazon's planned second headquarters in northern Virginia cleared a key test on Saturday when local officials approved a proposed financial package worth an estimated $51 million amid a small but vocal opposition.
At the organisation's latest conference in the Kenyan capital, the United Nations announced its aim to help lead change in the global fashion industry with the creation of the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.
All of Burberry's plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by the year 2025, the company has pledged. As a first step, it has already eradicated the plastic lamination of its retail bag.
Eco issues and sustainability are becoming increasingly important to consumers, and global fashion search giant Lyst said this week that searches for such products, as well as for luxury resale items, are rising sharply.
UK online fashion shoppers are buying trainers and tops more than any other products and are influenced by social media, while price, choice and convenience are driving factors for fashion shoppers to buy online.
Osaka, long Japan’s “second city,” is winning the race against Tokyo to draw foreign tourists, but after a boom, its retailers and property developers are adapting to shifting tourism spending patterns.
Primark has launched its first jeans made entirely from sustainable cotton with a debut across the UK and Europe as the company responds to consumer demand and continues its work with farmers in India and Pakistan.
Brazil on Monday thanked the global body that oversees Internet addresses for extending until April a deadline for Amazon basin nations to reach a deal with Amazon.com a seven-year battle over the .amazon domain name.
Britain's luxury sector, including names such as fashion house Burberry, could lose up to £6.8 billion in exports a year if the world's fifth largest economy crashes out of the EU without a deal, research indicated.


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$186.15 1.01 (0.55%)
8:20 EST V Stock Quote Delayed 15 Minutes
Previous Close $185.14
Market Cap 332.49B
PE Ratio 47.13
Volume (Avg. Vol.) 4,878
Day's Range 185.14 - 185.14
52-Week Range 121.60 - 187.05
Dividend & Yield 0.88 (0.47%)
V Stock Predictions, Articles, and Visa News
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